Major tech trends of 2011

2010 saw its fair share of technology innovations, from Apple's hotly anticipated iPad launch to steps forward in 3D and internet TV. But what breakthroughs can consumers and gadget lovers expect to see throughout 2011?



Despite some early scepticism, it's clear that the reign of tablet computers is far from over, with analyst Gartner predicting global sales of 55 million devices in 2011 - three times the figure sold in 2010, even with such a storm of publicity. This is partly due to the wider variety of products now available on the market giving consumers greater choice, from Apple's own iPad 2 released this spring to competing tablets from the likes of Google and Dell. That's not to say that tablets will yet overtake smartphones though, with handsets becoming an ever more commonplace sight among casual and business users alike - especially as 4G mobile internet is offered by more providers.



Cloud computing will doubtless continue to grow in importance across the year too, as more companies realise the benefits of virtual storage solutions for flexibility and cost-effectiveness. However, some of the most significant steps into cloud environments are expected to come from governments, both at home in the UK and in the US. Last year saw Microsoft winning a bid to host the US Department of Agriculture on its cloud servers, and 2011 will surely see other cloud heavyweights such as Google and Amazon competing to host other public sector services.

This year's tech news doesn't only extend to computers though, as even the familiar household TV looks set for a revamp in the months ahead. Google TV set the standard for internet TV when it debuted in 2010, and with ever more people choosing to watch TV online rather than settling for scheduled programmes, it appears that the traditional TV experience is going the way of the dinosaur - even if 3D TV sets may not have proven to be the hit manufacturers expected.



Not all technology news is quite so positive however, and following the widely publicised cyber-attacks that hit Google, Yahoo! and other companies in 2009 and 2010, followed by the WikiLeaks fiasco towards the end of the year, governments and corporations are expected to enter the 'cyberwar' field in a major way. Hackers are expected to increase their activity and develop ever more sophisticated methods of compromising security protocols, which in turn will require organisations to hire more IT specialists to help combat the problem and protect their valuable data from criminals.



Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.